In addition to their more traditional functions, mobile phones and other wireless devices are currently capable of obtaining and displaying information from the Internet or other informational networks. However, unlike computers which usually have fairly large display screens, mobile phones and other relatively small wireless devices do not provide access to the Internet that is as convenient as that provided by traditional computers. Small wonder, since traditional “web browsing” was developed with conventional sized computer displays in mind.
In order to overcome the limitations imposed by the smaller display screens of earlier wireless devices, a number of options have been pursued by wireless device manufacturers and wireless service providers to provide more suitable Internet access. One of the more prevalent methods has been to make the display screen larger. Of course, given that the overall dimensions of wireless devices have decreased, physical constraints continue to limit the effectiveness of such efforts. Another method involves making more efficient use of available screen area by limiting the display to primarily textual objects. The combination of these two methods has met with some degree of success, but other obstacles to ease of use have not been overcome.
For example, traditional web browsing sometimes requires a user to enter a uniform resource locator (URL) to access a particular web page. The small size of most wireless devices makes entering text difficult, even if a keyboard-style keypad is provided. When only a standard telephone-style keypad is provided, entering text becomes that much more difficult.
The inherent difficulties associated with using small interfaces and keypads to navigate web sites is a direct barrier to the widespread adoption of many Internet-type services. For wireless devices to become popular, an easier means for interacting with the “wireless web” would be advantageous.